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Following the CAS judgement on the Essendon 34, the AFL immediately put into place a set of rules relating to clubs affected by the loss of suspended players. These were made apparently without consulting the other AFL clubs and this was done on the basis that it would have been a health and safety issue to force the Bombers to go into a season 12 players light. The concessions to Essendon, the offending club in this sorry mess, were far ranging and generous. The AFL allowed the Bombers to elevate all rookies immediately and gave them the right to promote another ten players to their senior list from outside current AFL playing lists without affecting the club's salary cap. The Bombers have already been able to add a number of experienced former players and are continuing to comb the country for more players with which to replenish their list. As for the other AFL clubs who lost players to suspension, they were allowed the immediate right to promote a rookie and that's all. While it can be argued that the clubs in question don't deserve any breaks because (with the exception of Port Adelaide with Angus Monfries) they recruited players already under investigation/charges for breaches of the WADA Code, this really begs the question. The AFL has made concessions to a club which was the offender in the drugs situation and yet the innocent clubs must go into the season short of players or, if they are belatedly allowed top up players, the Bombers have been allowed to jump the gun and sign players. Now this - Essendon and Port want Jamar "The AFL has asked all clubs for their feedback on allowing affected clubs other than Essendon to be given special consideration. The clubs are expected to give a response by early next week." How insulting is this part which suggests that the AFL will be influenced in its decision on top up players by the other clubs given there was no consultation on the Essendon concessions? The AFL consults when it feels like it and likewise doesn't consult when it feels like not consulting. Like when other clubs put pressure on the AFL to not give draft relief to Melbourne on cockamamie grounds when the club clearly deserved a priority pick but was seen as a recent offender against AFL rules over tanking. Similarly, the AFL can't make a ruling over Jobe Watson's Brownlow by itself but has to consult with the player. We're fast becoming a mess and risk losing ground to other clubs. The game needs competent decisive leadership, not the weak efforts we see from Gillon McLachlan.

INTO THE GRAY by Whispering Jack The gray drizzly conditions that faced the very few who braved the trip to Casey Fields for yesterday's Melbourne training session were in stark contrast to my last visit for a training run two years ago when a north wind blew, the temperature hovered above the forty mark and the flies were impossible [FAREWELL TO MADAME TUSSAUD]. This time, the ground had been soaked by heavy overnight rain that persisted into the morning and was still coming down when the players ran out onto the ground. Despite the conditions, it was a good standard work out but one needs to remember that the start of the season is two months away and training sessions such as these are a long way from the real thing. Paul Roos watched proceedings from under cover in the grandstand while his assistants supervised on the field. There was a main group which did a spirited warm up and then there were others doing different forms of work, mainly rehab stuff but they were thankfully reasonably low in numbers. Jake Spencer ran on his own most of the time, Chris Dawes ran around a bit and then disappeared (from my view at least), Heitier Lumumba made a brief appearance, Jack Trengove was on the far side of the ground working with two assistants clad in red. From time to time, a player or groups of players broke off to do some specialised work, Jesse Hogan ran off on his own once or twice and later, we saw Ben Newton and Christian Petracca walking laps. Very few of the main list were missing altogether. I didn't see Dean Terlich and of course, Jake Melksham is off limits until November. After some running and ball work, the larger part of the group was split into three groups of 10-12 in blue, green and white tops for a form of match simulation but because of their numbers, you couldn't really get a sense of their proposed positions or roles for the season. Melbourne's midfield has been underperforming over the past decade. It has been a concern for years and to overcome this was one of Roos' main objectives on assuming his role as coach. We have seen good improvement since but in the main, it's been slow and it's hard to assess the change between seasons because of the operation of the midfield theory of relativity. By this I mean, that while we know the makeup of that division in the other clubs, it's difficult to work out how much we need to improve to reach the standard of the other midfields which themselves change from year to year. We know that we have an abundance of youth in contention for midfield places alongside Nathan Jones and Bernie Vince, that Dom Tyson is emerging in class despite injury setbacks last year, that Jack Viney's an absolute tiger for the football, that Angus Brayshaw and Christian Salem are up and comers who could rise up the charts like a bullet and Aaron vandenBerg looks in great shape as a big bodied mid. There are also some kids like Alex Neal-Bullen, Billy Stretch and recruit Clayton Oliver who could burst their way into the mix with a few others like Matt Jones who looks stronger this year, the injured Newton and possibly Petracca if the coaches decide to play him in that role. Viv Michie looks the logical selection if the club elevates him from the rookie list. But how will they set up and how much will other clubs improve or come back to the field in this area? One session in the wet certainly won't answer the question and we've been through so many episodes of false hope over the years to guess. I remember not all that long ago, coming to this ground and witnessing Tom Scully and Jack Trengove light up the entire playing group in their very early days as young recruits at the club at a time when other young hopefuls with midfield promise were plentiful in number but look how that worked out? That said, I liked the way the midfield worked together; their competitiveness stood out and if they have to fight for positions as hard as I expect they will in 2016, then there will be improvement. Whether that improvement will translate to elevation out of the bottom third into the middle of the table and even better will, I suspect, also depend very much on a more than a few players from outside the midfield zone. Jesse Hogan looked great in the wet. He's a big, brooding hulk of a man who stands out even at training. The competition's rising star gives the impression that in a bigger, stronger form in the next couple of seasons, he is going to take the competition by the scruff of the neck and, in doing so, the team's fortunes could soar. I thought much the same a few years ago with Mitch Clark before he was injured but he simply lacked the support around him to enable the forward line to become a force. We bemoaned the lack of crumbers around Clark to take advantage of on ground contested situations around the big man if the opposition spoiled him. These days we will have Jeff Garlett, Dean Kent, Jay Kennedy-Harris and possibly Ben Kennedy to take roles up forward and that's not to mention the rapidly improving James Harmes and also Petracca who will possibly start as a half forward. The second key forward position might be problematic given Dawes' continuing leg problems but Cam Pedersen is one of those good honest toilers who could fill the bill (as well as provide some in game ruck relief) in the interim while some of the younger tall forward prospects develop. Alternatively, Sam Frost could be used there and of course, there is always the hope that Jack Watts' sublime skills finally achieve enlightenment with a mid career step up in the intensity of his output. Watts did some very nice things on the ground yesterday interspersed with the odd wet weather error but he moves so smoothly and disposes so neatly that he could become Paul Roos' last big challenge. Find him a role where that talent can finally come to the fore. I doubt whether Max Gawn has had a true pre season since he came to the club already in rehab after his first knee reconstruction. He is experiencing one now and looks the goods. Known as a bit of a joker around the club, he could seriously force his way into the upper echelon of AFL ruckmen and if he does that, then the club gets an immediate lift. If he's injured or drops in form, it could spell trouble as there's not a great deal of back up depth. Jake Spencer is running laps at the moment and the King boys are a way off. Tom McDonald is now the main man in what is looming as a solid defence along with the likes of Lynden Dunn, Colin Garland and I hope Frost is played there as well. Tom Bugg looks like someone who will fit in well with Nev Jetta and hopefully Lumumba will get back to his exciting best from the Collingwood years. Then there are the two former captains Jack Grimes and Trengove. They were dealt a harsh hand given the captaincy of a troubled club without the full support of a fractured playing group and things were made tougher for them as a result of some frustrating injuries. They are among the club's wild cards. If they can regain regular places and play to the standards they were once considered capable of reaching in mid-career, it would make an enormous difference to the club's fortunes. Grimes, who was showing some good signs late last season, trained solidly yesterday. Trengove is still in rehab from his foot injury woes, but worked out with some of the assistant coaches and did not look that far from resuming full training. Two years ago and just before his current injury flared, he played a dominant role in a NAB Challenge upset victory over Richmond. It's all a matter of luck and outside chance from here on in, but nothing will be achieved from lack of trying and Trengove appears to be working his butt off to claim his last chance to resurrect his career. Clayton Oliver's 12 month journey from an overweight sufferer of osteitis pubis to Morrish Medallist and number four draft selection is well documented. It still worried me that Melbourne passed on such a well credentialed midfielder as Darcy Parish to get Oliver but seeing him out there in the wet competing with and against some experienced AFL bodies was mighty comforting. He could come very close to repeating Angus Brayshaw's 2015 effort of making the team for the first round. Sam Weideman moved well, has good height and I can see him getting game time later in the season. Liam Hulett already has a good build but his lack of grounding at TAC Cup level might mean he has to wait a bit longer. It was hard to draw any conclusions on Mitch King in the conditions and given that I didn't see that much ruck work in the hour that I was there. Of the rookies, Josh Wagner didn't look lost at sea and contested well in the match simulation - I'm sure he'll get a chance during the NAB Challenge. I wasn't expecting much from Joel Smith given that he's a category B rookie coming from outside the system but he's athletic and keen and the day in the wet at Casey would have been a good tune up for him at the place that will be his home ground for the next twelve months. Here's hoping he becomes another Mark Blicavs. After an hour, it was time to leave. I noticed Colin Garland leaving the field early but nothing looked amiss. It didn't leave me without a spring in the step in the expectation of the coming season which, after this weekend will creep up on us after the tennis and cricket are finally behind us.

The constant Saty criticism here is so absolutely boring. And mindless. Would everyone please just keep to the topic. And stop personally attacking other posters. Living in Sydney, I am grateful for every snippet of info I get about training, the players and the club generally - no matter how trivial some of it may appear to be. For instance, the poster who reported his conversation with Petracca at training (posted above) has literally made my morning. Positivity and progress at the club and the prospect of attacking footy once again. Was pumped to read that post.

Some of you are quite sad in having a go at Satyr here over his comments re Jeff Garlett when most of what he was saying was based on what Paul Roos said over a player coming back slightly underdone after the Christmas break. You're shooting the messenger and attacking him over his background because he reports on a statement from a bloke who played 356 games of AFL and has coached close to 250 including a premiership. That's pathetic. Garlett's not an endurance player, he plays a mainly crumbing role close to goals. He does his work in short, sharp bursts and doesn't need to be able to run hard all day like your midfielders. Yet, yesterday in the admittedly greasy conditions and just three weeks after the club's return from a 2 week break, he was getting around the ground without showing any sign of a problem. Talk about a storm in a teacup!

Only one person attacked his background. One. You're making it sound as if there was a lynch mob with pitch forks storming his front gate to tell him that he's wrong. Why you need to make it sound like that, rather than quietly having a word with the poster in question, is beyond me. Plus I still believe the rest of us are quite valid in our points re: Garlett's fitness. While boxing may make up a decent part of his fitness program, he still isn't immune to realising that while he can't do that, maybe he could do a little extra in other areas to keep his fitness base up. He's paid quite well to be a professional and it's clear he didn't quite reach those standards. Lastly, people are criticised on here left, right and centre for their various views on the club. That's what a forum is for. Why you choose, as a mod, to come out and defend one poster over not much is telling. I've brought it up before but clearly Saty is a mod favourite and is treated as such. I wouldn't see yourself or other mods quickly jumping to the defence of others with a couple of big paragraphs to support it.

Why do you need to do battle? Why so aggressive? What are you wanting to prove? Surely you can channel your energies more productively than waging war against people on here. Picking a fight with the moderators is not one your going to win, unless your goal is to get banned? Maybe you have been already and that is why you are being so belligerent? In case you haven't noticed Wiseblood it's a football forum not a fight your fellow supporters forum. If your all frustrated and pent up maybe go hit a punching bag with a picture of a magpie on it or something. You don't have to read other people's comments.

Hopefully he's on a heavily front-ended contract that's due to pay him $1m+ in 2016 and very little for the final three years

I would have thought he'd be used to it...

This is a personal opinion, think they are leaning more to Michie, really push him at training, but as I said to BAirCo, could be any of the four, they still have high hopes for King, not as a ruckman, but a 200cm forward, lovely kick for goal, Wagner is a mature head and body, some neat skills and White's development has been really good and owns that left foot cannon....christ it's good these days to even have four rookies who wouldn't be out of place if elevated to the main list

Ron, Bit more positivity for you, every player I have spoken to has reiterated what we have been reading on the club website and from training reports on here, everybody is finally on the same page, everybody understands "exactly" what is required to become elite, the training has lifted another notch.........I made Roos laugh at training when chatting to him over the fence when I said his 'explosions' seemed to have lessened at sessions...he said actually being listened to helped....yes it is still pre season, but finally I think we may have found the ladder to get out of the hole we dug ourselves into

I saw Smith do a couple of amazing athletic intercepts in the training match sims before Xmas. He's trying very hard to get his fitness base up and appears to be leaving nothing behind - he looked buggered after the two sessions I watched. As Saty noted, he does have a a decent frame which hopefully will fill out over time. Whilst being somewhat of a project player and new to AFL club environment, I got the feeling he was very well liked and received considerable encouragement from his teammates and the coaches on the track when I was there.

Here we go...

I'm writing an article for the site which should be up some time today where I cover my impressions of the players including the new boys. It won't strictly be just about the training session - it will also be a look at our list for 2016 on a limited basis. There's so many different things going on around the ground that it's difficult to concentrate on one player but I must say I was pleasantly surprised by Joel Smith. Given his elite youth basketball background I expected him to be athletic but he also appears to have some footy nous, inherited or taught by his father.

The point I was trying to make, I was at the first training session after the break when the senior players came back, Jeff Garlett completed the whole session without an issue, you can interpret Roos' words a couple of ways, the usual suspects on here decided to take the negative approach, which you are entitled to do, I actually spoke to Jeff a couple of weeks in when he had an issue with a slight calf strain and spent a couple of session in rehab, because he is built like a stick, and because his base fitness is really good, the boxing is what tops it off, so because he hadn't been able to do it, he was trying to catch up with it I have quite a few posters on ignore because I don't think it achieves anything nit picking, but I will post if I have a differing opinion to what is being stated as fact in a post

I popped down, they were doing full match simulation the whole time I was there. White, Salem, Jetta, Garland where the best users out of half back line. I like Grimes, so watched closely, 1 from 4 of his clearances hit a target with one out of bounds and one out on the full, and one a turn over. Pedo looked good at chf, Hulk great as usual. Dom Tyson looked real good, racked up touches and used it well. At one stage Viney took on the man on the mark, got done holding the ball, was shattered, his opponent went to play on straight away and JV rag dolled him holding the ball back. Jones looked classy, Gawny looked very good. Stretch seemed to run to some bad places and was being ignored. Oliver was great in the wet, wins one v ones, and is so clever with his use in close. Any other questions might spark some other info as I was working at the same time.

If they make the finals this year I will walk away from the game.

An example of what he might bring if he can develop (from a training session before Xmas and illustrating his basketball background)..............a kick which went astray in front of him, it bounced straight up in the air, without blinking he launched himself vertically, grabbed it one handed landed and looked to distribute Has a really good frame, coaches and recruiters I have chatted to, think once his endurance has built up, has the attributes to develop

another tragic out at Casey for a little bit this morning, spoke to Petracca for about 5 minutes, straight from the horses mouth, he is a week ahead of schedule will start running next week has no pain, when he first did it, he didnt think much of it, iced his foot then went for a run the next day and felt fine, it wasnt until he kicked a footy that it hurt. Anyway doesnt expect to play NAB challenge but will play a praccy match and is on track for round 1, in his words, "he will be playing somewhere" whether that is Melbourne or Casey is not up to him but you would think if he is good to go it would be on the MCG. I must say he is a very positive individual! said the boys are really improving and putting on size. the focus this preseason has been on attack he tells us, expect to see a different team this year, must say got a little bit excited!!!!! Go Dees

I took one for the team this morning. Went out to Casey to have a look at the boys. 14 Celsius so no heat stroke for me or anyone else. I couldn't identify all the players but will give you what I can. Trengrove was involved in a drill with two trainers where he kicked out from goals to them, ran out, gathered the ball wheeled around and had a ping for goal. Looked good doing that. Later he was running the boundary with a bit of pace and being encouraged as he passed Nathan Jones. Moving well and body,legs etc all looked solid. He's not so far off I think. Petracca walked passed clicking his fingers and tapping his chest. Moving ok but taking it easy. Not involved in the main business. Garlett looked slick in the sprints and composed and classy in match simulation. Hogan has a very intimidating look to him but retains that laconic air. Bigger, strong hands and despite the wet conditions competed well. Tyson was solid in the conditions. He was moving freely. Presented well and used his possessions to good effect. He impressed me. Oliver- had a good look at him. He was easy to spot. Keen as mustard, his kicks and hand passes about 90% effective. Made good choices and made it as easy for his team mates as they could want. I get the feeling he could be huge value in the main season. In comparison to Neal Bullen and even Stretch he needs to build up but when that happens, he'll be an awesome prospect. jack viney Everything you expect him to be. Super competitive moving well hates to be beaten. Very prominent in all passages of play in which he was involved. Expect a big year from Jack. Maximus was massive this morning. He launched himself vertical at one point to punch the ball out of play to stop Gus marking. For good measure he gave Gus a hip and shoulder as he walked past him back to the centre of the ground. Nice bit of agro from Max . Not Usain Bolt but he was a huge presence and I sense that him being around will be super important for all the mids this year. Took some big grabs and not bad by foot in the conditions. Ask me about others. I might be able to answer.

I often wonder about posters on this site Jessie Hogan doesn't smile.............It must mean he's going back to WA Jack Watts has a laugh at training.............Must have a crap attitude. I am working on a robot that sort of half smiles at training..........Means he is half happy to be out there but doesn't want to go anywhere. Should keep everyone happy.

Jack Viney for me. We already know how good he can be, but I believe this is the year he makes the rest of the competition stand up and take notice.

Last year when Frost jumped on a late plane (NT?) and someone suggested it was because he was going to play forward, you laughed it off as the most ridiculous suggestion ever. Next minute he's playing forward. Now you don't see him as a defender? The reason so many see him as a defender is obvious, he played in defence at Gdubbya, he's huge with great closing speed and a long reach. His goal kicking leaves a lot to be desired. Anyway, thanks everyone for the training reports, as always they're appreciated, they were a lot more enjoyable a few weeks ago, though.

I have been saying this for a while now, but "Dill the Likeable" runs the AFL by poll if it can't be hidden under the carpet (code for integrity unit). Lets not make a decision until we see the poll result. To my mind this is not leadership but some brand of following...

The AFL is corrupt. Nothing new here. scandalous yes, unexpected ? No. The AFL warrants a Royal Commission. It will never come. Those tasked with looking after the game have lost their way and long since made Faustian deals.

I've had a well-known crack at Saty previously, for other reasons, but I think your comment is a little out of line PD.

Yeah you're right. Playing Ammo's & watching it for 39 years isn't nearly enough to understand the "nuances" of the game.

Removing the sub rule is an interesting change. Thought I'd consider it for Clayton. The obvious change is you can't debut as either the sub or with plans to sub off. Short term that's not good. But medium term that's a good thing to not have players stuck as the sub multiple times. It also means they'll have to go back to the VFL to regather form instead of being sub for a week. Which means they have to be used to getting dropped and to working on their games. The other change is in having the 4th bench spot. 22/4 instead of 21/4 means slightly less - 82% game plan per player. Now if your 4 deepest defenders can do 90, even 95+% TOG that means one player might be able to get away with 60-70% game time. However with 90 rotations that probably means only 1 rest per player per quarter and so longer spells on the ground when the player and more on the ground rotations. Given Hogan, Garlett, a ruckman and possibly another tall or goal kicker will likely play forward most of the game it means even a first year player like Oliver probably has to do midfield minutes. From the training reports that probably won't be a problem, he seems to thrive in the contested stuff. But it might mean 2 or 3 minutes in the midfield spelling an experienced mid before going forward for another 5 or so minutes in each rotation on the ground. Will he have the fitness to do that and keep a high work rate? The Nab challenge will be very interesting for how we plan to manage rotations and how our younger players can handle that.

And many of them are easy shots. Jones, in contrast, has become very good at kicking clutch goals.

I don't know whether to laugh or laugh

Bailouts for inept administration running the club into the ground is one thing; bailouts, draft and salary assistance to a club for implementing the largest illegal doping program in Australian history...? That takes the cake.

i'm confused now. how could gill lose something he never had?

Apparently from this mornings "Age" the AFL have asked the Clubs (apart from Essendon) their opinion on whether St. Kilda and Port should be allowed to contract top up players. The Clubs "have privately argued that in the case of Ryder, Jake Carlisle and Crameri it was a case of buyer beware and they knew the risk of suspension when they recruited the players". No mention was made of MFC. Why did the AFL's sudden penchant to consult not apply to making new rules to apply to Essendon. Those new rules affect the other Clubs so surely they should have been consulted. Sounds like the new rules are being made under the cover of Workcover Rules so a bit like "we cant comment whilst under investigation". The VFL- AFL was set up to protect the interests of all Clubs. It would seem to me that the AFL makes very selective decisions.

The best excuse (by excuse I mean excuse, I'm not commenting on mental health issues) for getting out of work would have to go to a bloke I work with. He told the boss he couldn't work the following day because he had to marinate meat. I managed to keep a straight face right up to the bit where he said he had all the bags laid out ready to go, it was at that point I lost my [censored].

The root of the problem begins with running the organisation at the expense of ethics, morals & fairness. The AFL values profit above everything else. How can an organisation be run well into the future if this is the overall objective of its existence. It's only when ethical motives are taken into account & valued at least equally with making a profit that an organisation will be a valuable part of society into the future. In my opinion they will continue to sacrifice doing the right thing & put money, TV rights & "growing the game" above all other things. The following is an extract from a book that I am reading at the moment: The idea that business should advance the social good has been regaining its proper place in the last decade, helped along by the string of business scandals in recent years. As a case in point, in a 2009 speech James Murdoch, told the audience at the Edinburgh Television Festival that the "only reliable and perpetual guarantor of independence is profit". Yet in the wake of the phone hacking scandal at News Corp.'s UK newspaper unit, his sister Elisabeth Murdoch could say to the same audience three years later that her brother "left something out", declaring "profit without purpose is a recipe for disaster." She went on to say, "Personally, I believe one of the biggest lessons of the past year has been the need for any organisation to discuss, affirm & institutionalize a rigorous set of values based on explicit statement of purpose." Yet despite this growing consensus, it is probably fair to say that the implicit assumptions in the marketplace are that making money is the main thing in life, that business is fundamentally about accumulating and wielding power, and that maximising profit within legal limits is an end to itself.

We could've kept Jamar going into 2016 regardless of the WADA findings but chose not to. Any current lack of depth in our ruck stocks would not be improved with a 32 yo who struggled to ruck effectively in 2015 and has not trained since September. This is one case of 'don't look back' IMO.

In the few Casey games I saw, Jamar was incapable of hitting the ball to a Casey player and was immobile and ineffective around the ground as well. Just hope Gawn stays fit. If not we go with Spencer and pinch hit with with Pedo and the two Kings, who I know are not ready yet, but can at least get to a contest.

Well said!

On one hand you have a reckless person taking a substance that gives them greater endurance and possibly focus of strength to be more reckless, i.e they become more of one facet of their personality. Dosage levels may also be more in tune with psychological dependencies rather than a measured and possibly previously experienced successful dosage level outcome as in one maybe taken by an elite sportsperson.

They certainly won't be jumping to your defense. Garlett was another that really impressed me with his training a week ago.

I can't help but think the personal issues with McCarthy run deeper than 'homesick'. What budding elite player would sit out a year of football and do a dummy spit just to prove a point? What club would so readily give that player extended time out to move back to the other side of the country if the issues weren't serious? If he wasn't training well or unmotivated play him in the reserves instead. Maybe GWS underestimated his issues 3 months ago. Maybe there are things happening in WA that are very distressing for him. He may drop out of footy all together. I have no idea but this seems a very unusual situation. GWS deserve credit for now reccognising there is a real issue and looking after his overall health and wellbeing. I just don't see this as a Mccarthy ploy. I very much give him the benefit of the doubt, wish him well and hope he returns to football sooner rather than later.

I was very much impressed by Jack Trengove who was training on the far side of the ground. The way he was going it looked like he isn't too far off joining the main group. Of course, I don't know how he feels and I don't know what the medics are saying but I didn't see him skip a beat. He was working with a couple of assistants in red tops and I thought one of them might have been Daniel Cross but I'm not 100% about that.

Jeff came back a little bit underdone and it was similar to last year. He normally does a lot of boxing, but with a finger problem, he wasn’t able to do any boxing. So we’re just getting him back up running and he’s one that we all believe can go to another level again in 2016, as we all saw what an impact player he was in 2015.” – Paul Roos Thats a slight whack to me "Jeff came back a little bit underdone and it was similar to last year." just because you can't box does not mean you can't run, swim, ride etc. no professional player with a finger injury should come back unfit.

The AFL has got to stop these spoilt brats and their club of choice abusing the system. One way to do it is to force the clubs that eventually pick up these players in the PSD or whatever to pay hefty compensation to the spurned clubs. They may think twice if it is too costly going via the back door. I am sure there is some manipulation from clubs to persude promising youngsters to break the rules.

Yikes Dr Evil, your name don't lie! Fresh on the boards with a couple of pretty critical posts... you're gonna find it tough going in these parts with that kind of banter.

They're not "like slaves" because slaves don't have the choice of whether they will enter that life or not. AFL players know what the system is and how it works well before they voluntarily nominate to enter that lifestyle. You don't sign a contract and then complain about it not being fair, you just don't sign it in the first place.

McCarthy signed as extension. It is hardly a case of being drafted to GWS and having no choice. He had a choice prior to signing his contract extension.GWS are well within their rights to hold him to his contract finishes. If players don't like that, it is simple, don't sign contract extensions.

He can have all the indefinite leave he wants for all i care. As long as he doesn't come back before round 1.

McCarthy is a spoilt sook. GWS were right not to trade him. You can't just pick and choose where you'll work when you're under contract. He knew what was on offer when he entered the draft. It might have been different if Freo offered anything half decent. They didn't enhance prospects of a trade.

Garlett looked fine - he and Brayshaw changed jumper numbers but they didn't fool me. I could easily work out who they were.